Lower Lonsdale Condo for sale: Chinook House 2 bedroom 895 sq.ft. (Listed 2010-08-09)

An Owner Speaks

“I hope that whoever falls in love with this place will be as happy here as I have been.”

Mike: I’m sitting in the living room with the homeowner this afternoon and I have to say Bree, your home looks fabulous!

Bree: Thank you!

Mike: So let’s go back a few years.  In 2007 you were coming to the Vancouver area on a contract and you chose North Vancouver as the place you wanted to call home.  Why?

Bree: I wanted to be close to the mountains and trails, while still being able to access the city very quickly. The 15 minute drive to the ski resorts and hiking trails, or 15 minute Sea Bus into the city, answered all the needs for me. It’s a community feel in Lower Lonsdale, while still having direct access to the best city in the world!

Mike: Did you concentrate your search on Lower Lonsdale or were you open to other areas as well?

Bree: I was originally looking at Lonsdale as a whole, but then concentrated my search to a certain area of Lower Lonsdale. I wanted to be within a 5 minute walk to the Sea Bus terminal and the Lonsdale Quay. I didn’t want to have to use my car very often, so being close to shops and restaurants was a big selling feature for me.

Mike: Do you remember what some of your criteria were?

Bree: Of course. Walking distance to all amenities, close to public transportation, less than 5 minutes to the Sea Bus so I could be downtown Vancouver very quickly (quicker than driving) and a community feel. Also, having easy access to the outdoor activities that North Van is known for was essential. As far as the home went, it needed to have 2 bedrooms (one with ensuite), larger living space, in suite laundry, and outdoor living space was essential, preferably facing south or west.

Mike:  Ok, this home fits most of those, but certainly not all of them.  Let’s talk about where it misses first.

Bree: Fire away.

Mike: South or west facing.  As you know, there is a language called agent-speak.  In this situation we might say that your suite is on the quiet side of the building instead of saying that it is north-facing.  Tell me about your experience with living in a north-facing home.

Bree: It’s been great, as the suite faces on to a small access road for the apartment building on the next street above and is surrounded by a fence and mature evergreens. So there is no traffic at all except for the odd car going to the parking garage in the apartment behind me. The apartment also stays nice and cool in the summer because it’s north facing.

Mike: In suite laundry.  In agent-speak we might say that having shared laundry is a great opportunity to get to know your neighbours.  I also know it can be very efficient.  I recall you saying that there was only one time when you wanted to do laundry and could not.  Please give me the straight goods on your experience with shared laundry.

Bree: Well, I was pretty nervous about not having in suite laundry, as I am not a student anymore and didn’t want to live like one. But in all honesty I have only ever waited once for a laundry machine. Being in close access to the elevator, there is a laundry room directly above and directly below the suite. So it’s really just a quick extension of the apartment. And it’s cheap! Only $1 per load. So it hasn’t been an inconvenience at all, which I was surprised by.

Mike: Any other misses?

Bree: To be honest, no.  It checked all of my "boxes" in what I wanted from a home and I have been incredibly happy to live here.

Mike: What drew you to this home?  I’m pretty sure about one obvious attribute, so tell me about that and any other draws.

Bree: The patio is the obvious one. It doubles the size of the living space and is great for BBQ and relaxing from spring through the fall. At about 1000 square feet it sold me on the apartment. That and the fact that the building is a well maintained older building, so it has larger rooms and more living space than the newer apartments. The fact that it was move-in ready, the floors had been recently done with new laminate, the updated kitchen and bathroom, and fresh paint, made it easy to move into and feel at home right away. Also, the extra storage room and shed on the patio has been great to store all my toys - skis, bikes, gardening equipment, etc.

Mike: What about outside your walls but within the walls of Chinook House?  What has that been like?

Bree: The Chinook House residents are all pretty quiet and keep to themselves. The apartment is great, as really there is only one direct neighbour. There is laundry and storage below, laundry above, and an elevator to the one side, so having only one shared wall is great as it’s very quiet.

Mike: How does Lower Lonsdale stack up to some of the other areas where you have lived?

Bree: I’ve lived in many different communities all around the world and this has definitely been home for me. I love it!

Mike: How do you feel about leaving Lower Lonsdale and in particular, this home?

Bree: I’m actually very sad. I wouldn’t be leaving if it wasn’t for my job change. I would love to stay in this home if I could.

Mike: Any final thoughts?

Bree: I hope that whoever falls in love with this place will be as happy here as I have been.  And gets the chance to enjoy the $5 steak nights across the street at the pub on Mondays!

Mike: Well, this has been great.  You’ve certainly made my job a little easier by how you present your home.  I think people who visit will be inspired rather than intimidated by your flair for decorating and design.  This place really pops and I’m excited to introduce people to your home!